Please write your car's history down.....

[black69]

I recently lost cell phone contact with the original owner of a 68 Z I bought a yr ago. But something likely has gone wrong for him to not pick up anymore. He loved talking about the car.

One of many, is how proud he was of the sustained speed limit goal he achieved on some long run tollway that he felt safe on from getting caught booth to booth. He thought he got lucky until he found out they track the time entered and exited, and they calculated his personal land speed record not in his favor.

Just to write all these type of things down as when you know them, you look and think differently about the car before you in the garage, and future care takers should have the same benefit.

[Unreal]

I am collecting information about Shelby/Sixt Rent a Car program, and about my car specifically. I am on a mission, now, while involved people are still available, and while info is still fresh in their minds. It's hard now, and it's only been 3-4 years. But it would be exponentially harder 20 years from now, if they ever become collectible.

[Too Many Projects]

Good idea, and I'm always very impressed when I read about people being able to track down owners and history on cars. None of my cars seem to have any interesting pasts, other than still existing after more than 50 years.

The '70 Chevelle SS, may have been a locally known car, as it has vintage Lakewood ladder bars, but I had them on my '70 SS LS5 Chevelle back in the day too.

[Keith Seymore]

I've been making notes all along, mostly to keep my stories straight.

Here's a few threads I compiled earlier in the day to answer a question on a different forum:

Growing up in and around Pontiac racing:
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560524

More GTO stuff:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/5000-mile-unrestored-1965-pontiac-gto-dragstrip-warrior-new-still-family/

https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/03/07/1965-pontiac-gto-keith-seymores-lightweight-royal-gto-is-a-heavyweight-in-feathery-fabric/

Some red truck history:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=342926

Chevelle:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/sucs-1046-keith-seymores-1974-chevy-chevelle/

https://www.nmcadigital.com/blog/keith-seymore-is-committed-to-honing-his-skills-and-his-combo-for-multiple-drag-racing-classes/2148

I've got hardcopies in my office drawer labeled "Magazines I'm in" and given the kids explicit instructions to not let their mother throw that stuff away.

I've also been giving documents to the GM Heritage Center archives as I finish up with them.

K

[AnthonyS]

^ that's AWESOME!

[R68GTO]

Writing it down is key. I looked back through my notes from my early phone interviews with prior owners and I was surprised at how much stuff I forgot about just in 5 years.

[black69]

One story I have to write down is why the front rubber bumper on my black L78 camaro looks like its seen some action (wear). Original owner who still talks with me, told me when at bars he would give a challenger a beer head start and when he would catch them he would tag them from behind.

[Too Many Projects]

One story I have to write down is why the front rubber bumper on my black L78 camaro looks like its seen some action (wear). Original owner who still talks with me, told me when at bars he would give a challenger a beer head start and when he would catch them he would tag them from behind.
No disrespect, but that has urban fable all over it. Only a jet could make up enough time to drink another beer and still catch a fast car, unless the race was 10 miles long.:wink:

[black69]

No disrespect, but that has urban fable all over it. Only a jet could make up enough time to drink another beer and still catch a fast car, unless the race was 10 miles long.:wink:

Original owner is a badass driver. international stock car driver, was personal buddies with cale Yarboro whom he drove with. My (really his) Camaro is a death ride machine that will eat any cars lunch (at that time) as the engine is bored out to its limits. He got the first over the counter ZL1 block in wisconsin to run in his stock cars, and his mechanics kept this personal camaro in top shape for him. I have no doubt he had the machine and the racing skills to catch another car on long and windy roads in wisconsin.

[Rfish]

Original owner is a badass driver. international stock car driver, was personal buddies with cale Yarboro whom he drove with. My (really his) Camaro is a death ride machine that will eat any cars lunch (at that time) as the engine is bored out to its limits. He got the first over the counter ZL1 block in wisconsin to run in his stock cars, and his mechanics kept this personal camaro in top shape for him. I have no doubt he had the machine and the racing skills to catch another car on long and windy roads in wisconsin.

I’ve seen people who could finish a beer in well under 10 seconds so as myth busters would say, Plausible!!!

[Pro Stock John]

I had friends in the 80s who would bumper push other buddies to mess around.

[black69]

I’ve seen people who could finish a beer in well under 10 seconds so as myth busters would say, Plausible!!!

I will go dig out his racing drivers license he left in the car from back in the day, take a picture of it someone can post for me, and we can leave it nicely at plausable. He never said how long the ride was to catch the other guy.

All these stories as said by the first owner, and those from second, really at a minimum benefit the next owner and if they want to believe them. As far as my black nasty 69 camaro, when I start it, and it wakes up the neighborhood with appliance headers and its glass packs dumping before the rear axle, its like driving history you can not replicate with a resto mod. It still has its 1969 wisconsin registration on the windshield, S&H greenstamps in the console with ancient lighters, it has toggle switches to cut off rear lights, and also signal for a race challenge (back up lights on). When I look out over the factory original paint black cowl hood its like driving darth vader's car (yes I am a geek) based on what I believe it did back in the day. And as far as polyglass, the thing handles fine on F60 14 and G60 15 goodyear repro tires. It used to run H60 in back but unfortunately you can't get those. I raised my kids with smiles in their car seats in the back, my son just got his license, but he is years away from handling this thing, and reads what I wrote down for him to believe.

[Vortecpro]

I've been making notes all along, mostly to keep my stories straight.

Here's a few threads I compiled earlier in the day to answer a question on a different forum:

Growing up in and around Pontiac racing:
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560524

More GTO stuff:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/5000-mile-unrestored-1965-pontiac-gto-dragstrip-warrior-new-still-family/

https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/03/07/1965-pontiac-gto-keith-seymores-lightweight-royal-gto-is-a-heavyweight-in-feathery-fabric/

Some red truck history:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=342926

Chevelle:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/sucs-1046-keith-seymores-1974-chevy-chevelle/

https://www.nmcadigital.com/blog/keith-seymore-is-committed-to-honing-his-skills-and-his-combo-for-multiple-drag-racing-classes/2148

I've got hardcopies in my office drawer labeled "Magazines I'm in" and given the kids explicit instructions to not let their mother throw that stuff away.

I've also been giving documents to the GM Heritage Center archives as I finish up with them.

K

I remember seeing your Chevelle in the 80s @ Firebird raceway, can you tells about your engine combination back then? Do you remember Deb from the proving grounds with her L88 Camaro? Elmo Hodges?